The Ballad of Mona Lisa
by Ellechillin
Summary: She would be brave. For him. Caroline/Jeremy
1. Chapter 1

Enjoy my darlings. 

Brave

Her breath would have quickened. If she could breath.

"What are you doing here?" she said trying to sound stern.

Jeremy put his bag down by the door closing it quietly behind him. "Caroline, I don't want to do this anymore." he said walking towards her.

"Caroline swallowed hard, "I understand." she said disappointed. She knew this would be the conversation but she still hated this part. "What happened between us was fun but it's no reason to like dwell on it." she shrugged with a smile.

Jeremy cupped her face, tilting her head to look at him. "I need you to be brave, Caroline." he said softly.

It was hard to meet his eyes. He wasn't the kid brother of Elena anymore.

Caroline couldn't believe it when she spotted him in the cafe around the corner from Brazilian home. Jeremy had matured and grown into a man. Two years away from home alone would do that to you. Caroline and Elena had grown apart over the last two years. After high school, they lost the glue that held them together. Bonnie. Damon had turned Bonnie and the two had disappeared. Bonnie contacted Caroline, a month after her disappearance.

Caroline hadn't shared that information with Elena. To this day she didn't know why.

At first, Caroline was just showing Jeremy around his new city. She had fallen in love with Rio. Jeremy had been teaching English at one of the local schools. Caroline had always known that Jeremy was smart even when he was getting in his own way.

They became quick friends and then something changed. Jeremy changed and kissed her. She let him. The sex was amazing. She would definitely put Jeremy above all other, including Damon.

She was genuinely happy to see him everyday without a inkling of her usual boredom, annoyance or worry. Jeremy made her feel like she was perfect, and all those insecurities that she held to even now seem miles away. It scared her, how _easy_ it was to be with Jeremy.

The cold reality hit. This could have possibly worked if she was human. Caroline wasn't human as much as she tried to blend in. Learning from Stephan and Damon. It was still hard because the instincts of being a vampire took over so fluidly. She knew that Jeremy would leave her. That she would have to watch him die because _he_ was ver human.

Instead of suffering the loss, she decided to break his heart. Jeremy had stormed out in such a fashion that left Caroline speechless. He told her he was leaving Brazil because he couldn't stay away otherwise.

She hadn't seen him for two weeks. It was as if he was haunting her. She couldn't go to places she usually went because of Jeremy. She hated him for that. Hated herself for being so stupid, believing that she could have a normal relationship with a human. It hadn't worked with Matt. It hadn't worked with Tyler (though he was a wolf), he too would die too.

Now he stood in front of her. That's when she knew. She loved Jeremy. Not the Jeremy who she'd ignored in Virginia but the evolution of Jeremy.

"I am being brave. That's why I had to do this. It's for you own good." she lied, her eyes were watering.

He kissed the tip of her nose. "Liar," he whispered.

Caroline couldn't stop the smile from creeping on her lips. She felt her hands wrap around his waist. "This can't work, Jeremy." she almost whined.

Jeremy nodded, understanding. _Finally, I'm getting through to him. _Caroline though to herself.

"I love you. I want to marry you. Do you want that?" Jeremy asked.

Caroline looked almost bewildered. "I want all those things. I've had the dress that I want to wear picked out since I was like 12. You're perfect but you're not a vampire. Which means you'll die one day and I'll still be here. Alone. Again. I don't want that." she said squeezing him tight.

"We gotta change that." he said. Caroline looked at him.

The silence was defying.

Caroline pushed away from him. "No" she said shaking her head. She knew his meaning. Caroline couldn't do that. Not to him.

"Baby, it's the only way. " Jeremy reasoned. "I've thought about it long and hard. Everything you just said is true. I'm going to get old. I will die. I don't want to leave you alone and I cannot go on with life without knowing what we have here...It's fucking amazing." he smiled.

Caroline nibbled her lip. "It'll be betraying you."

Jeremy seemed to be so calm. She expected him to yell or leave at her rejection but he didn't.

"Caroline. You want what I want. I want you. Turn me. I have been around a lot of vampires. It's not a betrayal. It's a necessity." he explained.

Caroline wiped her eyes "How does it work?"

Jeremy smiled slightly pulling Caroline to him. With just the kiss, Caroline forgot the world.

She was going to be brave. For the love of her immortal life. She would.


	2. Chapter 2

Author's Note: I wrote this chapter because of M my husband. He's always listening to music in other languages. This song is in Italian and it's called "Canta Per Me". M knows Spanish, French and English. Not Italian. I know Italian, so when he was drawing in his study I heard this song from the kitchen while cooking. It's so appropriate for C&J. Plus Yuki Kajiura sings it beautifully. A instant jolt of inspiration.

The title of this story The Ballad of M has nothing to do with the actual story. It's a song that I fancy quite a bit that annoys my husband because I've been singing it for the last few weeks.

Canta Per Me

Caroline licked her lips as she went back to sitting upright on top of Jeremy. His blood tasted like heaven to her. It wasn't the first time she'd fed off of Jeremy.

It was early in their sexual relationship that Jeremy realized that Caroline's orgasm was more pleasurable if she got blood drunk off of him.

This was different though. At the end Jeremy would be dead.

Jeremy slammed Caroline down on his dick hard bringing her out of her head and back to him. The jolt ran through her body as she stared down into Jeremy's eyes.

"You stay with me." he voice was forceful as he gripped her hips, urging her to move faster.

Caroline let go fully. Focusing in only on how Jeremy cried her name. How he slammed his hips into hers and smacked her ass. The blood exchanges made the sex last longer...made it better...made Jeremy stronger...made her more horny for him.

2 2 2

I'm afraid." Caroline said as Jeremy stroked her hair as they watched the sunrise together. She was leaning on his shoulder, drunk on his blood.

"Afraid of what?" Jeremy said with a smile.

Caroline looked up at him and he winked at her.

"You know why. I feel like I'm being majorly selfish, right now." She said as traced circles in his palm with her fingertips.

Jeremy shrugged "Isn't it about time we're selfish? I want you all to myself from this point over without the constant worry that my number might be up."

Caroline leaned up and kissed him. The kiss packed the fear she felt about this. "I love you." she said.

"I-" Jeremy started.

He didn't have a have a chance to say the rest. Caroline snapped Jeremy's neck. He had no time to react. She held her lover's limp body. She could feel the tears falling as she rocked him in her arms.

"It's okay. I know. I've always known." She assured him.

_Hours later_

Caroline was panicking. She looked her boyfriend's body that lay extremely still on the bed. She called the person that could possibly help. If she killed Jeremy...like actually killed him. She swore to herself, she'd take off her talisman and walk straight into a sunny day.

"Well isn't it my little fledging; calling to check in with her daddy as she globe trots." The vampire on the other end of the phone said smugly.

"This isn't the time to joke, Damon!" she snapped as she paced the bedroom. Her eyes never straying far from Jeremy's body.

"What have you been up to goldie locks?" he said with the tone of a disappointed father.

"I just have a few questions. You turned Vicki, right? So did you drink from her, she drank from you, and then you killed her. How long did it take her to wake up?" Caroline said trying to play it cool.

The other line was silent.

"Damon?" Caroline said his name to make sure he was still there.

She heard the laughter. Not just a chuckle but a deep throaty laugh. At that very moment Caroline wanted to rip out Damon's heart.

"You fucking didn't!" he said between laughs.

"I'm just asking a few questions." Caroline lied.

"Trying to make a playmate, are we? I'll tell you what I know if you tell me who you turned? Have to make sure this young man is good enough for my daughter." he said.

"Shut up. It's Jeremy." she said dreading the words coming out her mouth.

"This keeps getting better and better. BOOOONNNNIIIIEEEEEE!" Damon yelled.

"NO, DAMON YOU CAN'T TELL BONNIE!" Caroline shrieked.

"Caroline is in the process of turning Jeremy." Damon said to Bonnie with a blase ease.

"What?" Bonnie exclaimed.

Caroline said a string of curses. She could hear Bonnie asking for the phone.

Damon ignored his wife "So where is he now?" he asked, the serious tone of his voice made Bonnie shiver.

"Has she lost her fucking mind?" Bonnie's voice came from the background. Caroline could feel her stomach turning at the anger in her best friend's voice.

"Sweetheart, she's already started. We have to see where she's at in the process. Calm down a little." Damon spoke softly to Bonnie. He didn't speak so softly to Caroline. "How long has he been dead?"

"Like four hours now." Caroline said without missing a beat. She realized how no so smart this idea was.

"Everyone is different. Sometimes it takes two hours, other times it's a few days. Just stay put. He'll wake up and then he'll be hungry. I would have two humans ready for him."

"Two humans?" Caroline echoed her maker's words.

The other line was silent for a moment. "Goddamnit, Caroline! Remember how hungry you were when you woke up. No food equals a sloppy newbie. You don't want that. It's inconvenient. Go and get two happy meals, right now." Damon barked.

"But what about-" Caroline was cut off by Damon.

"Jeremy's a corpse right now. Value the time because he's going to be disorientated, hungry, and very angry when he comes to. You have to be there for him. Lock him in wherever he is. Call me back after you've come back with the humans."

Caroline heard the phone go dead and knew that Damon had hung up on her. She knew that they were in South America, she just didn't know where.

2 2 2

Damon looked at Bonnie whose face still had disbelief written all over it. He kissed her forehead.

"I'll fix all this." he said.

"How the hell are we going to explain to Elena and Stefan about this?" Bonnie asked.

Damon smiled pulling her out of the room "It isn't our place to do that. Jeremy has to. I'm sure Caroline didn't think of this brilliant idea without first discussing it with me. She's not that compulsive...this has Jeremy written all over it. So now we'll go to Brazil. Fucking fledglings."

2 2 2

Caroline looked down the lively night street. She scoped out potential risk and the potential meals. She would be lying to herself if she didn't feel a thrill in stalking her prey.

As the years went on Caroline had a self awareness about herself. She could never follow Stefan's diet. She would slip...and it would be bad. Not one or two bodies. More like twenty or thirty. Caroline commended Stefan for his will power but it simply was not for every vampire.

Crazy enough support came from the one she hadn't expected it to come from. Damon. He had been there for the good and bad. She realized that she couldn't do what he did and sometimes slips up does happen but the emotion. Kill a human. Did she drink human blood? Absolutely. The blood came from a blood bank that her friend ran and for a small fee...she received her blood. It satisfied the hunger...but sometimes...like now. She missed the thrill of the kill.

She wasn't ashamed of it either. She walked into the crowded bar. It was perfect. Caroline leaned on the wall "people watching". Damon had taught her this when she lived in California with him and Bonnie that first year.

That's where she saw Jeremy for the first time after Mystic Falls. He had gotten into it with Elena. It seemed like they didn't agree on anything. Damon and Jeremy had gotten closer in that year that they became a little family. Caroline could see the looks that Jeremy gave her but all she saw was Elena's brother. Couldn't get passed it...At the Damon and Bonnie's wedding in Greece...she could see that she was hurting him.

Soon after...the little family split up and Jeremy left for school in Florida. Damon and Bonnie went to Costa Rica. Caroline decided to travel...find herself. Hell she had eternity to do it.

Her eyes flickered to the couple making out in the corner. Caroline felt a smile cross her lips...

2 2 2

Jeremy gasped for air as he sat up on the bed. _Where was he? What day was it? Where is Caroline? Caroline. Hunger. Hunger. Pain._

Jeremy got out of the bed and almost immediately knocked back down by a pounding headache. He was so hungry. With his teeth gritted, he got up and walked out of the bedroom.

The shutters were open letting in the night air and the sounds of the lively street outside of their apartment.

"Caroline?" Jeremy called out. She wasn't here. He knew that he should stay put and wait for her...but every fiber of his body told him to go eat.

Jeremy put on his shoes and left the apartment shirtless.

2 2 2

"Is your boyfriend as pretty as you?" the handsome man asked smelling Caroline's hair as she opened the door to her apartment. The handsome man's girlfriend looked on with lust in her eyes.

Caroline could smell the humans sexes getting moist by the thoughts she filled their heads. She compelled them into thinking that she wanted to have a foursome with them. It was the easiest and first thing she could think of.

"He sure is. Now come in." she said pulling the couple in at the same time, closing the door behind them. "Have a seat." she said as she had both of their full attention.

Like zombies the couple did as Caroline said. She left them in the entertaining room and she went to see if her beloved had risen. Caroline didn't know how much longer she could take looking at his corpse.

Her eyes widened at the empty bed. Caroline could feel a tightening in her chest. Jeremy was gone.

"Shit!" she yelled out loud as she dialed Damon's number. She searched each room furiously and no sign of Jeremy.

"Did you get the happy meals?" a bored toned Damon asked.

Caroline stood in the doorway of her entertaining room to look at the couple that were meant for her boyfriend. "Yes but Jeremy is gone." she said in a small voice.

"She did not just say what I think she did!" Bonnie's voice was heard from the background.

Caroline sucked her teeth, annoyed at herself and now everyone around her. "Blame me later! Tell what the fuck to do now! Jeremy's alone on the streets." she snapped.

The couple were getting antsy until Caroline gave them a signature smile. That put them at ease once again.

"First, calm down. Congrats you've just got your first fledging." Damon joked.

"DAMON!" Caroline and Bonnie said in unison.

"Okay, okay. You can track him by scent. Get something of his and smell it. Just as I taught you. Caroline, you have to get to him quickly. We'll be there in an-" his voice trailed off.

"One hour." Bonnie finished his sentence.

"One hour." Damon repeated. "Now lock the humans up and go look for Jeremy." he ordered her.

Caroline nodded to herself as she said yes. She was reassured by Damon's words. She slipped her phone in her pocket and smiled at her two guest.

"Change of plans." she said with a smile.

2 2 2

Jeremy stumbled into the private club. The hostess stopped what she was doing to ask what the shirtless man was doing.

Jeremy didn't look at her heart shaped face...his eyes trailed the defined vein on her neck.


	3. Chapter 3

_Author's Note: I'm back. :-)_

Family

Jeremy looked down at the paper that the address was written on in script. This was the correct address. He rang the intercom of the gated house.

"Yes?" A male with a thick Spanish accent said.

"Uh-hi, I'm Jeremy Gilbert. Looking for Damon Salvatore." He said hesitant.

"One moment, please." the man said.

Jeremy took the time to look at the massive house...no, not a house, a mansion behind the iron black gates. He knew the zip code for Beverly Hills. He knew what that meant. Still...he was in awe at it. The mechanic sound of the gates opening snapped him out of his trance. Jeremy picked up his grey duffle bag and pulled it over his shoulder.

"Sir, please by all means come in." the man said through the intercom.

Jeremy nodded and walked up the circle driveway. "You have the neatest penmanship I've ever seen, man."

"What the hell are you doing here?" Damon said with a joking smile. He was wearing a black collared shirt, jeans, and was barefoot as he met the young man.

The two men gave a brotherly hug to one another. After what went down in Mystic Falls...Jeremy forever saw Stefan differently. It made him change his judgement on Damon and made him believe that Stefan wasn't good enough for Bonnie or his sister.

Damon viewed Jeremy as the brother...he actually could tolerate. Damon picked up Jeremy's heavy duffle with ease and proceeded for the house as Jeremy followed behind. "You haven't answered my question." Damon reminded him as they stepped into the foyer.

"I came to study under Bonnie." he said closing the door.

Damon chuckled "I'm aware of that but that's not the whole truth is it? You were in Spain with your sister-so what's with the change in plans?"

Jeremy was about to answer when he heard his name. He could feel his palms dampening as he saw Caroline. She was wearing a zebra striped bikini, flip flops, and big white framed sunglasses. She looked like a Bond Girl. Her hair was in two fish braids, and the only makeup she was wearing was lip gloss. He always thought she was prettier bare faced.

Damon raised an eyebrow with a knowing smirk, which made Jeremy cough and recompose himself. "Hey, Caroline! Didn't know you were here?" he said.

He was truly astonished by her presence. Last time he saw her, she was with Tyler. They had gotten tight over the shared freakdom of being a vampire and a werewolf.

Caroline gave him a peck on the cheek. "I would hug you but I'm all wet."

Damon clapped his hands together and shook his head. That comment had the men thinking the same thing. Jeremy wanted to give Damon a good punch. "Well Caroline, my darling fledging, why don't you attend to Jeremy with his room and entertain him while I call Bonnie. I know she'll be happy about the new arrival." Damon said patting Jeremy once before walking away.

Caroline rolled her eyes and huffed "It's a long story. I'll tell you later."

Jeremy smiled "Alright, so where am I bunking down in this castle?" he said looking at the high ceilings and the chandelier. It looked way too expensive for Jeremy to even stand here.

Caroline let out a little giggle. "I know, right. Damon must be pretty loaded."

"Or killed a lot of loaded people." Jeremy retorted.

Caroline looped her hand into the nook of his arm. "Let me show you to where you're staying. Glad you're here, Jer." she said looking up at him.

Jeremy smiled "Me too. It's good to be around family." he said.

3 3 3

"Pull over."

Damon looked over at his wife with confusion. "Bonnie, we'll get there soon." He switched to fifth gear in his Porsche.

"Damon, I can get there sooner. Pull over." Bonnie said, her jaw slightly clenched as she said it.

Damon pulled over on the deserted road. Bonnie kissed his lips hastily. "I'll meet you there."

Damon nodded and Bonnie got out the car. Damon didn't look twice as he pulled off once more.

Bonnie flipped through the photos on her phone until she came to one of Jeremy. It was the night they became blood bond. Eternal mother and son, teacher to pupil. It was the most sacred and deepest honor in the Wiccan community.

She chanted his name. Over and over again keeping her eyes fixated on his picture. She closed her eyes tight.

The smell of fresh blood filled her nostrils. It was so strong that her face changed and she let out a low growl without her knowledge.

Bonnie opened her eyes and surveyed her surroundings. If she were human..it was quite possible that she would throw up. The carnage as if a wild animal was released into the swank, low lit club.

She kneeled next to her pupil, whose embrace was tight around a once upon a time beautiful Brazilian woman. Her eyes still showed the terror of the attack. Her neck had been ripped open.

"Jeremy" she said softly.

Jeremy looked at her. His face was stained with a mixture, of his tears, dry and wet blood. His face was still in vampiric form, his pupils black as the night. "I didn't mean to do it." Jeremy said quietly.

"Oh my gosh!" Caroline's voiced hysterically. She rushed to Jeremy's side, hugging him as he held on to the body of one of his 19 victims.

Bonnie glared at Caroline as she pulled out her phone to call Damon. She looked around at the destruction that a new vampire could create. He picked up on the first ring and she told him they had Jeremy.

Caroline was in the process of trying to pry the lifeless body out of Jeremy's arms. "Babe, we have to get out of here." She said softly. Every time she tried to pry the body out, Jeremy would tighten his grip. She leaned her chin on his shoulder which seemed to calm him slightly.

Jeremy could feel more tears "She's so young. We can do something, Bonnie and I can? I didn't mean to do it, Caroline. Honest. I couldn't help myself." he said more so to himself. Trying to justify his action.

Caroline shook her head "Jeremy, she's dead and I know the feeling that you have right now. Being so hungry that it hurts, we can't save her. We have to go." she pulled him up.

Jeremy looked at Bonnie as the couple walked passed experienced witch. "I'm sorry." he breathed.

Bonnie gave him a smile to show that she wasn't upset...at him.

3 3 3

"I'm not upset at you. I'm upset at her!" Bonnie explained to Jeremy as she paced the sunroom.

Damon shrugged "Are you surprised though?"

Bonnie wanted to scream "Who gives their only brother an ultimatum like that? I mean really what the hell has gotten into her?" she said.

Jeremy massaged Bonnie's shoulders, without thinking she flung him off of her rougher than she intended. "She made me choose and I did. I chose the family that would never make me choose between my sister and my best friend. I want to learn the craft from you. Be your pupil as discussed. Elena has never had the power to make me do things that I didn't want to do. This is just another example."

"Stefan stood by and let this happen?" Bonnie said almost rhetorical. Before Damon could gloat at the sheer thought of his brother's ways, Bonnie answered her own question. "Of course, Stefan never had a backbone against his wife."

"Now I have nowhere to go." Jeremy said looking everywhere but their faces.

Damon smacked him in the head. "Didn't I just open my home to you?"

Bonnie kissed Jeremy's cheeks and hugged him tight "We're family, maybe not blood but family all the same. You stay with us as long as you want. I'm going to go change for dinner."

Damon smirked at Jeremy "It's good to have you here, little brother. There's so much estrogen that I have to battle everyday. Let's go play some pool as the girls freshen up." he said.

"It is good to be around family." Jeremy smiled.

"That it is." Damon agreed.

3 3 3

"He's asleep." Caroline said not wanting to look at her maker.

Damon was drilling holes into her head with his eyes. He hadn't said much to her when she arrived with Jeremy in tow. She rather be yelled at instead of the eerie silence. Damon walked around her without a word to double check on Jeremy. She was gutted. Damon didn't trust her anymore. That was clear.

Caroline was so deep in thought she forgot about Bonnie...That was until she felt the witch's fist connect with her jaw. Caroline coughed up blood as she stumbled back. Bonnie's face had changed and Damon was now standing between the two vampire.

"I'm-" Caroline started.

"Save it! You acted in haste and did something that Damon nor I would NEVER have let you do by yourself."

"It wasn't a decision that you two could make for us!" Caroline fired back.

Bonnie gulped back a scream as she went for Caroline again. Damon grabbed his wife just in time. "YOU ALMOST KILLED MY BEST FRIEND, YOU STUPID BITCH! I ALWAYS THOUGHT YOU WEREN'T THE SHARPEST TOOL IN THE SHED BUT THIS TAKES THE CAKE!"

Instead of going after Bonnie, Caroline stood and took a moment. Throwing her hand up in defeat and then letting them collapse at her side. "Yes, I acted on impulse. I did it for love and that was childish. This was way too important. I should have at least consulted you guys first. As my family. Jeremy was just so convincing." Her words trailed off.

Bonnie had calmed down at this point "That isn't the point now is it. Now there are 30 people dead and the guilt that Jeremy may never forgive himself for."

Caroline open her mouth to rebut but Damon put up his hand up "ENOUGH! The both of you. I've had enough." Damon kissed his wife on her temple as he squared off with Caroline. "The point is sweet fledging that what's done is done. Jeremy is a vampire. 30 people are dead. You are responsible for all of it. Jeremy isn't the problem because you are the stronger. You are the vampire. This all hangs over you head. Now you must deal with the consequences of your actions." Damon handed her his mobile.

She looked at it and then him "What's this for?"

Damon smiled "To call Jeremy's jaded sister of course. You think Bonnie is pissed. Elena will have your head for this."


End file.
